New Zealand: Politics
Parker rules out personal carbon rationing
27 May 2008
Climate Change Issues Minister David Parker is ruling out a personal carbon emissions trading scheme here.
Forum heads to the select committee
26 May 2008
A high-powered group of business and community leaders who back an emissions trading scheme will appear before the finance and expenditure select committee today to answer questions from MPs.
Dunne does a dance on ETS costs to households
26 May 2008
UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne says the party’s future support of both the Emissions Trading Scheme and the biofuels legislation currently before Parliament hinge on the issue of the impact on household budgets.
Assumptions used to delay fossil fuel in ETS may prove unreliable
26 May 2008
Key data behind the Government’s major decision to defer including liquid fuels in the emissions trading scheme until 2011 rely on multiple assumptions which may prove unreliable.
Greenpeace: Good initiatives at risk under polluter subsidy plans
26 May 2008
Greenpeace welcomes today's Green Party announcement that all state houses will be properly insulated within five years but warns initiatives like this could be at risk if big polluters get their way.
"Aspirational goal" G8 ministers told climate change not waiting for any of us
26 May 2008
Ministers from G8 Countries say their leaders are likely to agree only aspirational goals when they meet in July.
EXCLUSIVE - National answers questions on ETS: No bill backing even if it gets all it wants
23 May 2008
In response to a series of questions from Carbon News, National says it will bring farmers into the emissions trading scheme, but won’t vote to pass it before the election – even if it can get all six of its key demands into the draft legislation.
Price for NZ First support of ETS not paid yet
23 May 2008
A Budget commitment to help the elderly meet the rising cost of electricity under an emissions trading scheme is just the first concession of several being demanded by New Zealand First as its price for supporting the climate change bill.
Fiscal forecast: ETS will lose Govt $121m net in first commitment period
23 May 2008
The Government will allocate $2,151 million in emission credits and earn $2,030 million from them in the first Kyoto commitment period, making a net loss of $121 million.
Dunne: More than tax cuts needed for households to counter ETS price rises
23 May 2008
There will be justifiable outrage and anger if the Government decides to treat these cuts as effectively a down payment on increases in the cost of living brought on by the Emissions Trading Scheme, according to United Future leader Peter Dunne.
Cullen quizzed on multi-billion ETS surplus from sale of credits
23 May 2008
The Government will make a net revenue gain from the emissions trading system of up to about $159 million a year between 2013 and 2018 - $795 million over five years - and "perhaps" $1b to $1.5 b a year out to 2030.
Leadership forum to front select committee on ETS
22 May 2008
The Leadership Forum on Climate Change will be the next group to front-up to the Parliamentary select committee as jockeying continues over who will and will not support the climate change bill that will bring in the emissions trading scheme.
Business-as-usual Budget for climate change
22 May 2008
Today’s Budget will not be the big-bang for the environment that Australians experienced with their Budget last week, but will contain some steady-as-she-goes policy continuation.
ANALYSIS: National delivers heavy emitting friends into tougher hands
22 May 2008
National’s decision to abandon support for the emissions trading bill has effectively delivered more power to parties wanting a tougher line on heavy emitters.
Australia's first carbon trade cheap and symbolic
22 May 2008
Australia’s first carbon trade was well below international market levels and should be viewed as largely symbolic, says local trading house OM Financial.
Ka kite Rio Tinto….kia ora ETS
21 May 2008
The Maori Party has launched a stinging attack on big businesses that it says are trying to bully the Government into transferring the cost of their greenhouse-gas emissions on to taxpayers, suggesting that the party is going to give the Government the numbers to pass the emissions trading scheme into law.
ETS bill vote support scenarios favour bill’s passage
21 May 2008
Labour could carry its emissions trading bill through the House with a maximum of 70 votes to 51 if it gathers the support of its current coalition partners and independent MP Taito Phillip Field.
The "windfall" controversy: Long term fiscal impact of ETS will be in Budget
21 May 2008
EXCLUSIVE: Finance Minister Michael Cullen has told Carbon News he will reveal Treasury’s long-term fiscal projections for the emissions trading scheme in tomorrow’s Budget.
Smith: Labour needs to come clean on multi-billion dollar ETS windfall profits
21 May 2008
National yesterday again challenged the Government to release the official papers that reveal just how much the Government is set to profit from the emissions trading scheme, saying it is "apalled" it has been denied leave to table official documents in Parliament.
Top climate change academics shun National's bid to delay ETS
21 May 2008
An academic group from Victoria University's Institute of Policy Studies has come out publicly with "several arguments" why the legislation should not be deferred.
Fitzsimons: Bill must have teeth or I won't bite
20 May 2008
Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says that she will not be voting for the climate change bill if it does not have any teeth.
ETS delay will cost taxpayers money, says trader
20 May 2008
Carbon trading house OM Financial is warning that delaying the introduction of New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme will cost taxpayers money.
Let’s cool it, says Key, and sends ETS into a spin
19 May 2008
The National Party has kicked the emissions trading scheme into touch, saying it won’t support the bill in its present form and wants to delay passing it until after the election.
Process all above board, says ETS chair Chauvel
19 May 2008
Finance and expenditure select committee chair Charles Chauvel is defending the way in which the committee has dealt with the climate change bill, and says that work is on schedule to report back to Parliament next month.
Nats could be punished, say environment groups
19 May 2008
Environment groups are warning the National Party that it could be punished at the ballot box for failing to take decisive action on climate change.
ETS will trim Kyoto bill $909 million, pushes Key further out on policy tightrope
16 May 2008
The emissions trading scheme will avoid a 15 to 50 million tonne rise in emissions between 2008 and 2012, Climate Change Issues Minister David Parker has told Parliament, in what appears to a ground preparing statement ahead of National leader John Key’s ETS policy announcement this Sunday.
Expert tells businesses: Wake up, it’s happening now
16 May 2008
New Zealand businesses that fail to act now on carbon face a real risk of losing market share, with many already feeling the financial impact of the new way of doing business, says PWC partner Julia Hoare.
Official report urges focus on sustainable policies
16 May 2008
A two-year-old Ministry of Research Science and Technology paper has been dusted off because it urges the government to adopt policies that accelerate the channeling of resources into value added food technology.
At last, Nats to tell us where they stand on the ETS
15 May 2008
National will break its silence on Sunday on where it stands on the Government’s emissions trading scheme.
Bluffing over aluminium: EU says post-2012 ETS impact may be 'negligible'
15 May 2008
While Rio Tinto talks of its Bluff aluminium smelter being put on a path to closure by the proposed emissions trading scheme, the European Union says the effects of including the sector in its scheme “may well be negligible” once a new post-Kyoto international agreement is in place.
Angry Greens ask Government: Is it us or them?
14 May 2008
The Government is in the firing line from both National and the Greens over its performance on the emissions trading scheme.
Fletcher role revealed, Government extends credit assistance further than sought
14 May 2008
The advice from Fletcher Building which helped persuade Government to make a further $1.3 billion in emission credit concessions to heavy emitters is revealed in an appendix to the interim report of the select committee considering the emissions trading bill.
Select committee probing fate of refrigeration gases in ETS
14 May 2008
The select committee considering the emissions trading bill is looking into “significant issues” including how to treat synthetic greenhouse gases.
Big landowners take centre stage at ETS hearings
14 May 2008
Some of New Zealand’s biggest land owners today will put their argument to Parliament’s finance and expenditure select committee for more flexibility under the emissions trading bill.
OPINION: It’s time to take another look at our water
14 May 2008
The Green Party has capped any discussion of fresh water exports within the Labour-led coalition, and the National Party views the topic as a kind of Son of Nuclear issue, to be kept well clear of.
Select Committee interim report on emissions trading bill
14 May 2008
The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee has issued an 18-page interim report on the Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Prefernece) bill.
Smelter submission actually supports ETS, makes special pleadings
13 May 2008
ANALYSIS. - The operator of New Zealand’s only aluminium smelter supports New Zealand’s desire to introduce an emissions trading scheme.
Little point in NZ carbon trading currency, says business group
13 May 2008
A second major business group is suggesting that New Zealand should be using international carbon instruments instead of creating its own currency.
Nats deny any ETS deal with Government
12 May 2008
National is denying reports that it is gearing up to do a deal with Labour over the emission trading scheme, and the Government isn’t commenting.
Most Kiwis believe big emitters running the climate change show
12 May 2008
Most New Zealanders think that big greenhouse-gas emitters are calling the shots on the country’s climate change policy, and a Labour-Green coalition is seen as the best combination to manage change, according to a new poll.
New poll: Kiwis like ETS delays but want heavy emitters to pay now
9 May 2008
New Zealanders approve of the Government’s billion-dollar decision to delay bringing transport into the emissions trading scheme – but think that heavy emitters should be facing the cost of their emissions now.
Government disputes $80b 'carbon tax' windfall claim
9 May 2008
The Government is disputing a suggestion by Solid Energy chief Don Elder that it could stand to make $80 billion from New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme.
ANALYSIS: Will Don Elder today spell out his dream for New Zealand?
9 May 2008
What did Don Elder hope to achieve by assuming a carbon price of $200 per tonne and almost nil-emissions reduction – to produce a result showing the Government could make a surplus of up to $80 billion from its emissions trading scheme?
EXCLUSIVE: Top Fletcher officers played key role in ETS policy switch
8 May 2008
Highly reliable sources have told Carbon News that two senior Fletcher Building executives, Jonathan Ling and Hans Buwalda, were the key players in successfully lobbying Climate Change Minister David Parker for major changes to the emissions trading scheme, announced on Tuesday.
NZX chief: Here's our big chance to impress the Americans
8 May 2008
New Zealand has a chance to build a strong relationship with the United States over greenhouse-gas emissions trading by being the first country to bring agriculture and forestry into the scheme, says NZX chief Mark Weldon.
Big players put cases to ETS select committee
8 May 2008
The select committee hearing submissions on the emissions trading bill is in for an interesting day today, with energy producers, users and lobbyists lining up to make submissions.
Government ETS moves will batter forestry Kyoto credit values
7 May 2008
Forest owners expect the value of their hard-won Kyoto carbon credits to plummet as a result of yesterday’s announced changes to the emissions trading scheme, with the likely result that few new forests will be planted.
Stock exchange chief looks to the futures
7 May 2008
NZX chief Mark Weldon says that changes to the timetable for implementation of the emissions trading scheme will move demand from a spot market to a futures market.
Non-committal Nats happy to play the waiting game
7 May 2008
National says it is carefully avoiding “running the politics” on climate change and won’t finalise its climate-change policy until at least July, when it sees Australia’s proposals.
Government allies vent their anger
7 May 2008
Government moves to delay the impact of the emissions trading scheme on big-business and motorists have earned anger from allies, with the Green Party threatening to pull its support.
Profound shifts in our changing energy system – new data
Today 10:46am
New Zealand’s energy system is undergoing a profound shift as falling gas production and a dry hydro year reshaped the electricity market in 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Energy in New Zealand 2025.
International scientists slam NZ govt's proposed approach to methane
13 Aug 2025
New Zealand's proposed approach to methane emissions has again been attacked by international climate scientists, with a new study saying the attempt to redefine climate target-setting by livestock-exporting countries undermines the transition to a sustainable and equitable food system
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
Today 10:46am
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
Certainty crucial to emissions cuts – Watts
20 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says that policy certainty is the Government’s primary lever for unlocking private capital and meeting climate targets, telling a carbon forestry conference that ETS settings are 'locked' through 2030.
Why climate strategy is now central to business success
Tue 26 Aug 2025
SPONSORED CONTENT: Ahead of next month’s Climate Change and Business Conference, New Zealand businesses are being urged to treat climate strategy not as a regulatory burden, but as a core driver of economic competitiveness.
